In 1999 soon after starting my career as a law enforcement officer, I accompanied my Deputy Chief and another rookie officer to a police funeral for Indiana State Trooper Richard Gaston, who was killed in the line of duty on March 4th, 1999. To be honest, if I was not "made" to go I probably wouldn't have gone. At that early stage in my career, I was invincible and being new, the reality of being killed in the line of duty was not on my list of concerns. Being a rookie officer, keeping my boots shined and uniform pressed seemed far more important. On our way to Indianapolis, the Deputy Chief went over the dos and don'ts at the funeral, what to expect, and the amount of people that would be there to honor Trooper Gaston. It was a chilly day, I thought. How many people would really be there?

As we neared the entrance of the church, needless to say, I was immediately intimidated and surprised by the hundreds of officers from around the country that were walking inside. I clearly remember seeing patches and uniforms as far away as New Mexico and wondering why someone would come so far to honor someone they had never met. As we walked inside, someone pinned a white carnation under my badge and directed us to the seating area. After the service was over, we gathered outside and stood at attention as the casket was carried to the hearse. We then processed to the cemetery and stood in honor as Trooper Gaston was laid to rest. I then realized what it meant. Why officers had traveled hundreds of miles. The bond that law enforcement officers share for each other is unlike anything that I had ever seen or can describe to this day. After that day, honoring fallen officers and never forgetting the sacrifice they paid to keep us safe is something that I was drawn to.

In 2005, I read an article written by Keith McPheeters of the Farmington New Mexico Police Department about an organization called Cops on Top. As I engrossed myself in the details of the article, I marveled at the lengths (and heights) the group would go to honor our fallen brothers and sisters. As I read about major expeditions the group had undertaken, I was intrigued by an upcoming Cops on Top event honoring those who had been killed in the September 11, 2001 terrorists attacks. The goal was to get law enforcement officers on the highest points of their state. Being a hiker and climber already, I immediately emailed Keith and told him that I was in. I recruited three other officers to accompany me (Officer's Adam Noether, Jeff Downey, and Scott Shoemaker) to Richmond, Indiana, where we reached the highpoint of Indiana (Hoosier Hill).

Since that September day, I have continued to participate in Cops on Top events and have come to the realization of the importance of Cops on Top and what it means to participants, friends, family, and co-workers of fallen officers. On January 12, 2009 a team of Cops on Top climbers will travel to Mendoza, Argentina, to honor Sergeant Stephen Liczbinski who was killed in the line of duty on May 3, 2008. I am proud and honored to be a part of the team that will not only honor Sergeant Liczbinski, but also carry on the tradition and mission of Cops on Top and to let the world know that we WILL NEVER FORGET!

Troy Bacon